To Ends Eternal
by Tala Mitena
Summary: The path you walk is long and dark, and you watched as pieces of yourself broke off, fell away into shadow. Someone is waiting for you, just ahead. She found the pieces. But she is temporary, a passing dream of sunshine in your endless night.
1. Scent of Silence

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own the Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Novels/True Blood Novels, neither in part nor full. All characters and content are the legal property of Charlaine Harris, whom I truly thank for supplying our world with such wonderful entertainment. This work of fan-fiction serves no purpose of monetary gain; only one of furthering the enjoyment I have gained from Ms. Harris's work.

_Author's Note:_ While I am sure the concept of this fanfic is not original, as it is merely a retelling of the novel's events from a different point of view, I maintain hope that it is at least well-written and enjoyable. As this is mostly written as a sort of "character study", many of the scenes will appear in a similar fashion as they do in the novel, and all dialogue within these scenes will be identical to that found in the book. I feel this is important, as although I am trying to further the exploration of the inner workings of Eric Northman, it is these scenes that Harris provides us with which create the depth I wish to delve. However, I hope that by adding new scenes - and new views to existing scenes - to the story, I can breathe new life into it at the same time. I hope you enjoy it!

To Ends Eternal

_Chapter One:_

"Scent of Silence"

* * *

It was her skin, Eric decided, that had attracted his attention first. Her arms, face, chest, were nicely bronzed, colored with health and life. She knew well the feel of sunlight, and perhaps took pleasure in it. This was a welcome change in scenery at Fangtasia, where most Caucasian patrons prized and guarded their paleness, which could range from the rare porcelain of a naturally fair human – who would only turn ruddy at the touch of sunbeams - to the sickly, weak fish-belly white of one who purposefully avoided stepping outside. These humans seemed to think that the vampires whose attentions they so eagerly vied for would appreciate the pale complexions. Eric did not usually have much thought or preference one way or the other regarding human skin tone, though he was known to avoid those who purposefully stayed inside in an attempt to render themselves more attractive to vampires. This was the first time he had found himself appreciating the lively glow of a tan.

And she had dressed to call attention to this asset, he noticed as she took in her surroundings. She was wearing a tight, white dress. It contrasted nicely with her bronzed shoulders and bust line, and was decorated with small red flowers which pleasantly reminded him of blood-spatter. Her blond hair was loose and tickled her shoulders, and she wore a pair of bright red heels that were just begging to be left on after all other clothing was removed. Perhaps he would oblige.

But she had attached herself to a vampire whose paleness was very much so accentuated by the darkness of his hair. Bill Compton. As Eric continued to survey the girl, Bill leaned over, nearly burying his face in her long, thick, hair, and he must have whispered something to her, for she laughed. Though he could not hear it, Eric was sure the laugh was a bright and lively sound.

The couple made their way to the bar, where Bill caught the tender's, Long Shadow's, attention. The girl was smiling politely, and pulled three photographs out of a small, red straw purse that hung by her side. She passed the photos to Long Shadow, and a tiny wave of suspicion passed through Eric's frame. Bill Compton had brought a human woman into Fangtasia, and bypassed his sheriff in allowing the blood-bag to interrogate the staff. Later, Long Shadow would reveal the questions he had been asked, and Bill would regret his decision not to ask Eric's permission before conducting the investigation.

After a quick, but thorough, scan of the rest of the bar, Eric once again turned his attention to Bill and his companion, who were now seated at a table. The girl was quiet as a string of fangbangers offered themselves to the dark-haired vampire, and Eric watched the expression on her face as it slipped from mild annoyance to disappointment to the pain of being ignored and rejected. She was quite attractive when she was sullen and distressed.

A middle-aged man skulked away from their table, crying pathetically, and Eric's brows drew together in confusion. The girl's smooth, slender neck was not marred by the pin-prick wounds left by fangs, and yet Bill was sending meal after meal away, and now the stiffness of his frame and the determined set of the human's eyes suggested that the two were arguing. Perhaps Bill was mainstreaming a little too well, if he was not even willing to use a simple glamoring to stomp out the rebellious little spark in this girl of his.

Her eyes flicked from Bill's face to Eric's, and Eric stifled a pleased smirk as her clear blue eyes widened with a mixture of fear and appreciation. But he had given the girl enough attention for now, and so he resumed an air of boredom and began scanning his patrons once more, never lingering on a single customer for long.

Still, there was the matter of discovering just what the deliciously sunkissed girl was doing here, and just who Bill thought he was allowing her to ask questions without Eric's approval. Brushing a stray strand of his long blond hair behind his ear, Eric turned to look at Long Shadow, who at the moment seemed to have remained unfazed by the girl's questions. Surely if she had touched upon a worrisome subject, the bartender would have let his employer know.

And yet...

Another vampire, also blond-haired and blue-eyed, had spent the evening sitting beside him, rather forcefully shooing away the humans that had crawled towards her and Eric, and now Eric turned to her, prepared to order her to bring Long Shadow to him. During this act, however, he was stopped by the presence of two beings who had made their way to his table, and he scowled, hoping the primal sound would frighten his unwanted guests and send them scattering back to the dance floor or whichever booth they had ventured forth from. But his callers were not fangbangers come to beg for a bite as he had assumed, rather they were Bill Compton and his companion.

"Bill," Eric recognized the other vampire with a small nod. Bill nodded back, though more deeply, and waited at a respectable distance.

"Who's your friend?" the female vampire, Pam, almost purred, grinning to make sure the girl noticed that her fangs had slid out.

After a moment spent considering Pam, the girl spoke, a broad smile plastered to her face. "Hi, I'm Sookie Stackhouse."

"Aren't you sweet," Eric observed.

"Not especially."

The two blond vampires stared at Sookie for a moment. She was not as timid as they'd assumed. She had some bite to her. Eric and Pam laughed, though Eric was not sure if he was laughing because Sookie had been clever, or because she had been foolish in not fearing him and his child as much as she should. Still, he found it refreshing that she was neither paralyzed with fear, nor recklessly seeking the danger of consorting with vampires. This girl was certainly intriguing.

"Sookie," he tried, finding the name peculiar on his tongue, "this is Pam, and I am Eric."

Bill and Pam nodded at each other, and Sookie looked as if she were about to speak, but a firm grip at her arm, from Bill, stopped her.

"My friend Sookie," he said, almost warily, "would like to ask a couple of questions."

Pam turned to share a bored glance with Eric, who returned it despite already knowing the girl was in the habit of asking questions tonight.

"Like how long are our fangs, and what kind of coffin do we sleep in?" Pam drawled, voice dripping with contempt.

"No ma'am," Sookie replied politely, ever the picture of Southern charm. Eric nearly laughed again, but Pam was clearly surprised. "I'd like to know if you've seen either of these women in this bar," the human continued, pulling two photographs from her purse and passing them to Eric.

He wondered briefly where the third was before casting a disinterested glance at the two in hand. One was of a woman with black hair and a heavy jaw, the other of a woman Eric did indeed recognize. Considering his options, he decided to answer Sookie. Perhaps this would lead to more questions, and he would like to know just what Compton and his pet were up to.

"I have been with this one," he said, voice cool and calm. "She liked pain." At the time he had probably appreciated that, but now the woman was just another girl in a heap of countless memories . Sookie certainly looked worthy of joining their ranks.

Pam nearly scoffed in surprise at her master's answer, but obediently followed his example. "I have seen them both. I have never been with them. This one," she indicated the woman with the heavy jaw, "was a pathetic creature." She might as well have spat on the ground she was so obviously disgusted.

Sookie was clearly nervous, and hastily said, "Thank you very much, that's all of your time I need to take." She attempted to turn to walk away, but Bill's grip on her was firm and held her in place. He knew what was coming, and Eric had his suspicions about what the other vampire's reply would be.

"Bill," he asked, his eyes sliding over Sookie's neck hungrily, "are you quite attached to your friend?"

"She is mine," Bill said, a little too firmly. Eric had expected that, but it was glaringly obvious that Bill had not yet fed on Sookie, and therefore the claim was barely official. So, the blond vampire allowed his eyes to sweep over her slowly, taking in her sweet face, the alluring slope of neck into shoulder, the soft, scrumptious swell of her breasts over the neckline of her dress; her waspish waist-line, the hearty curve of her hips, and her long, toned legs. Yes, Bill may have declared Sookie his, but Eric would not be in _too_ much trouble if he acted before the claim was sealed in blood.

Slowly, he lifted his head in a gesture indicating that Bill and Sookie were now allowed to take their leave. Bill bowed, took two steps backwards. The human still regarded Eric and Pam anxiously for a second, but her date steered her away gently, and she followed most willingly.

When they returned to their table, it was once again clear that they were arguing. Bill spoke first, and if the bar had not been filled with the buzz of other conversations, Eric would have easily been able to hear theirs. As it was, however, he could recognize the shape of his name on Bill's mouth, and the set of the other vampire's shoulders was envious, and so Eric was pleased. Bill was insecure, his claim to Sookie was tenuous at best, and so far there was no indication that their relationship was proceeding smoothly.

"She is...different," Pam said, her lip curling slightly, though he could not tell if it was in disdain or amusement.

"Yes," he agreed tersely. "And Bill is up to something."

"He has not fed on her," she offered, and her maker knew that the response not only implied that she concurred with his previous statement, but that her thoughts also mirrored his own concerning Bill's claim to Sookie. "Nor has he tried to glamor her, though she is clearly willful."

"They spoke to Long Shadow before coming to me with their questions. See if you can't make sure he knows not to let that happen again."

As Pam stood to obey him, Bill stood from his own table and headed to refresh his and Sookie's drinks. Without hesitation, Eric's thoughts sought the boundaries of Sookie's mind, smiling inwardly as her gaze flicked up to him, then demurely to her hands. There was a spark of interest within her – too deep for her to notice herself, most likely – and he pulled at it gently, willing it to rise to the surface of her thoughts. But his grip on her mind faltered, and her eyes remained on her hands, though her breathing had quickened and her lips had screwed into an annoyed pout. He tried again, then again, pulling at her with increasing strength, but always failing to hold on long enough to effect her will.

He snorted, frustrated, but curious. Eric knew now, why Bill had not simply glamored away Miss Stackhouse's stubborn disposition. He also banished any and all doubt that Bill was attempting to slip something past his sheriff's notice.

Bill returned, and again their conversation was tense. Eric watched as the other vampire placed his hand forcefully at the back of Sookie's head and turned her face towards his. She was clearly irked by this gesture, and Eric's brows quirked at it. If Bill could not win her with mind-tricks, surely he would want to avoid violent undertones. His interest in this girl went beyond lust and gluttony, Eric suspected.

Instead of reacting as he was used to seeing human women react to such shows of force, Sookie merely adopted a bored look, and her bright blue eyes lazily scanned the crowd in the bar. It happened in a flash, but Eric caught it; she had left herself, and her date. Her attention wandered elsewhere, her own mind was vacant, and he had trouble pinpointing just what it was that had drawn her out of herself.

Then, as quickly as she had left, she returned. Life, and worry, came back to her eyes, and when she continued her conversation with Bill, it was pithy and hurried. The pair stood and the vampire swept his human towards the door. As they passed Eric's table, Bill waved as if motioning for the blond to follow, and the gesture was flung through the air with determination. This was no jealous call to fight in the alley, no flippant suggestion that there were issues to be discussed outside. Something else was at work here.

Eric rose to his full, impressive height, his long, strong stride carrying him past Bill and Sookie as they all sailed smoothly out of the club. Without stopping, or even slowing, Eric made sure to take the arm of the bouncer and sweep her along with the rest of the group. The two of them maneuvered their way to stand by his car, where he signaled her to wait silently for the others to catch up.

"There's going to be a raid," Bill said as he approached.

"How do you know?" Eric's voice was dry, and quick.

But Bill paused, and somehow Eric knew it would be the girl who would speak up.

"Me." Aha. There it was. Whatever she said next was the answer; to why she had been immune to his powers of persuasion, to what Bill expected to gain from consorting with her...to what Eric himself might gain by doing so as well. "I read a policeman's mind," she muttered, very softly. If he were human, he would not have been able to make it out. Sookie glanced up at him quickly, and he felt a deep hunger rise in him. Pam had been more right than she knew; Sookie was different. And useful.

"That's interesting," he murmured, wondering how many times he had said that to a human without lying. At least once, now. "I had a psychic once. It was incredible." He wouldn't bother clarifying whether "had" meant ate, fucked, or both. It was more fun letting Sookie come to her own conclusion.

"Did the psychic think so?" she snapped tartly.

Eric laughed, pleasantly surprised by the response, though she had already proven herself handy with witticism tonight. "For a while," he answered, pleased by the continued ambiguity of the statement.

Sirens leaped up in the background, and though he would have preferred to continue this game with the human, to squeeze some more information about her ability out of her, it was time to go. Along with the bouncer, he slid into his car, and drove away.

Bill may be up to something, and it very well may have to do with Sookie's mind-reading. But for now this issue could take the back seat. First, Eric would discover just how useful the ability could be to him, then he could concern himself with what Bill intended to do with it.

***

When he'd found out someone had embezzled nearly $60,000 from the bar, Eric had been outraged. But, quick on that anger's heels came an idea which he found quite appealing. Perhaps, he'd thought, Sookie could lend a hand. Bill had agreed to bring her to Fangtasia so she could read the minds of its human employees and report her findings. He'd been reluctant, but he'd also had no choice.

Sure, Eric could find out who the thief was himself; death threats and torture were very effective motivators, after all. However, that option did not allow for the chance to observe Sookie's unique skill. And Eric was definitely quite interested in that. Bill had refused to answer questions regarding its nature and origins. It had been obvious that he did not actually know most of the details concerning her ability, and Eric was mildly surprised when he was pleased by that fact. It had occurred to him rather belatedly to ask whether or not she could read vampire minds, and that was the one query Bill had been able to answer, with a firm, relieved, 'No'.

"I'll make a deal, Eric," Sookie said, very straightforward, as she stood in front of him now. They were in his office at the back of the bar with Pam, Long Shadow, and Bill, and Eric had just assured her that if provided with enough evidence, he would turn his embezzler over to the police rather than deal with the thief in the traditional vampiric way. It would be an easy promise to keep. Of course, it would also be easy to make sure there was not enough evidence.

"What would that be, Sookie?" he asked, smiling indulgently, like a mother might when her child offers her a deal to avoid grounding. He would make no deals with humans.

"If you really do turn the guilty person over to the police, I'll do this for you again, whenever you want."

Eric's eyebrow rose, slowly, as he regarded her, bemused. She was wearing blue jeans, a pale blue scoop-necked tee, and a silver necklace, which he had thought amusing at first sight. Also adorning her neck were fang marks. So Bill had finally tasted his meal. And judging by her hair, which was now several shades lighter than it had been the other night, and the fluid grace with which she now conducted herself, she had drunk from him as well. That was an interesting, and unexpected, turn of events.

"Yeah, I know I'd probably have to anyway. But isn't it better if I come willingly, if we have good faith with each other?"

Humans were awfully fond of that word; faith. Anyway, it might be that she had a point. Sure, he could make her do whatever he wanted simply by threatening Bill or some human she loved. But he and the rest of the Fangtasia operators were trying to mainstream, and keep as legal as possible. Most of their patrons were fangbangers or human tourists, and it would be best to keep his relations with humans above-board. Or at least as above board as human-vampire dealings could be.

For a split second, there was a strange sensation at the corner of his mind. A swift flash of contact, a small, dry brush of foreign thought against his own. It was gone perhaps even more quickly than it had come, but it had most certainly been there.

"Besides," Sookie prattled on, hurriedly. She was nervous, surprised. Bill had said she could not read vampire minds, and yet Eric was sure she had just read his. But she was surprised, which furthered his interest in her. Even she did not know her own limits... "how sure are you that the thief is a human?"

Pam and Long Shadow, his co-owners, started towards the human at her words, but he silently compelled them to stay still.

"That's an interesting thought," an interesting though, yes. But not one that hadn't already occurred to him. He feigned surprise, though, for the benefit of the other three vampires in the room. "Pam and Long Shadow are my partners in this bar, and if none of the humans is guilty, I guess we'll have to look at them."

"Just a thought."

"Start now," he said coldly, "with this man." He indicated Bruce, the middle-aged, thin-haired man who sat cowering across from Sookie. Bruce was the accountant who had noticed that some numbers did not add up, and dutifully reported to his employer. That did not put him beyond suspicion, though.

Sookie moved next to Bruce, where she knelt before tentatively taking his hands. After a second, she released them, and instead gently held his wrists. That same distant, almost vacant, look Eric had witnessed the night she first came to Fangtasia passed over her face. It lasted a moment or two, before she came back to herself and asked:

"Did you take the money?"

"No," Bruce groaned. He was sweating profusely.

"Do you know who did?"

"I wish." It didn't take a mind-reader to realize he was telling the truth.

Sookie stood, and turned to Eric, shaking her head and sending her blond ponytail bouncing. The vampire allowed himself to briefly imagine her hair coming undone, falling onto her bare shoulders, while Pam escorted Bruce from the room and came back with another human employee. Her name was Ginger, and she was an over-confident strawberry-blond, wearing a trailing black dress and proudly displaying quite a bit of cleavage. She practically sauntered into the room, grinning at Eric and taking a seat in the chair previously occupied by Bruce.

"Hey, sweetie," she crooned at her boss, earning an eye-roll from Sookie (and Pam), and a flat command to answer Sookie's questions from Eric. She sobered instantly, crossing her legs at the ankle in what she no doubt hoped was a very business-like yet appealing manner and waving a hand flippantly in Sookie's face. "Begin, fellow vampire server. Don't touch me!"

The other woman had taken hold of Ginger's wrist, and Ginger tried to fling her hands away, but Sookie did not yield.

"Pam," Eric ordered, "hold Ginger still." Pam obliged.

"Did you take the money?" There was a pause, and then Sookie got that far-away look again, but this time when she came back it was only halfway, and her face twisted into an expression of confusion. "She knows who did. She can't say the name...he has bitten her. It's some kind of compulsion. She can't even picture him."

"Hypnosis," Pam stated, her fangs exposed. "A strong vampire."

"Bring her closest friend," Sookie suggested.

"Should she stay, or go?"

"She should go. It'll only scare someone else."

The woman vampire left, taking Ginger with her, and when she returned it was with a bespectacled brunette, a little older than her friend, and clearly more sensible. She sat and accepted Sookie's touch without question.

"Belinda," Eric asked as he eyed Sookie curiously. She was not nervous anymore. It almost seemed as if she were enjoying exercising her ability. "What vampire has Ginger been seeing?"

"Anyone that would see her," she answered simply.

"Which one from here?" Sookie's outburst was sudden, and her eyes widened and moved only slightly -

And then Long Shadow was leaping from his corner, sailing easily over Belinda. He landed on top of Sookie, who fell backwards and slammed into Eric's desk. His eyes were wild, and she flung her arms up over her neck, so that his fangs sank viciously into her forearm instead of tearing relentlessly into her throat. If not for the vampire blood she'd most likely ingested, she probably would not have been able to react quickly enough.

Sookie had just proved herself too useful to be lost now, and Long Shadow was clearly traitorous, so Eric acted after only fleeting consideration. He kept a stake in his desk, in case of situations similar to the one at hand, and almost before he realized it, the wood was crunching through Long Shadow's flesh and bone. The vampire's body slumped forward and blood poured out of his mouth, running over Sookie's arm and into her open mouth. She gagged, choked and sputtered as Long Shadow collapsed into clumps of black gore.

Eric stood over the body as Bill pulled Sookie out from under it and Pam clutched the stricken Belinda by her arm. They were all frozen, and what was once Long Shadow began to smoke. No one moved or spoke until the wisps of blue-grey rising from the dissolving heaps of carnage disappeared. In the case of the two human women, it was fear, revulsion, terror, that had stuck them as they were. But Eric knew that for the vampires, the crippling force was not the final death of their false colleague, but the smell.

It came from Sookie. As soon as Long Shadow bit her arm, and her blood hit the air, a sweet smell had wafted from her wound. Eric had thought, at first, that it was perhaps a scent he recognized, but as it filled his nostrils he found it almost entirely unfamiliar. He gazed at Sookie, his head swimming and his fangs running out. The world was in a haze, and all he could concentrate on was her; her scent, the deep rise and fall of her bosom as she breathed heavily, the blood that clung to her arm, chest...lips.

"You'll have to get you an area rug," Sookie murmured. Through the haze he could not register the meaning of her words, but he could appreciate that they were surely not an appropriate response to the events that had just unfolded.

His eyes returned to her lips. They were soft, full, quivering with fear. And covered, _slick_ with blood. "Your mouth is bloody," he said dazedly, before the implications of this wormed their way through the fog enough to bring him half back to his senses.

"He bled onto me," she offered lamely.

"Did any go down your throat?"

"Probably. What does that mean?"

"That remains to be seen," Pam said, her voice catching in her throat and pregnant with lust and hunger as she ran her eyes over Belinda's pouty lips. "Usually we drink from humans, not the other way around."

"How do things look to you now, Sookie?" When once her name had tasted strange and foreign, now it slid smoothly off of his tongue, leaving a trail of promise in its wake. Gods, her scent was still there. Faint, so faint, but there and far too tantalizing. He was slipping away from reality again and he knew that his blue eyes were burning like cold fires and drinking in the curve of Sookie's neck. She was staring at him, too, her eyes wide and struggling to stray towards Bill. Eric could feel the other vampire's gaze boring into him angrily.

"I think Bill and me'll go now," the girl said, voice cracking and wavering. "I did that for you, Eric, and now we get to go. No retaliation for Ginger, and Belinda, and Bruce, okay? We agreed." She started determinedly towards the door. "I'll just bet you need to go see how the bar is doing, huh? Who's mixing the drinks tonight?"

"We got a substitute. You smell different, Sookie." He took a step closer to her, not thinking for a second about the tension in Bill's frame or how that tension might be released if Eric so much as touched Sookie. He just _had_ to know how she tasted...

He heard speaking, but did not register who had spoken or what was said, and then Ginger was back in the room, running her hands up his chest, pressing her body against him, and overwhelming that faint, sweet scent with her own, very human, one. He looked down at her, pulled away from his spell, disappointed. Sookie was leaving, and as she looked over her shoulder, he bent down towards Ginger's neck, pausing to smirk at the blond.

"I'll see you again," he drawled. As the door shut, he sank his fangs into Ginger and she did a poor job of disguising her cry of pain as one of pleasure. He was probably more ruthless about the feeding than he would have been otherwise, but he was desperately hungry, and furious because she did not taste nearly as delicious as Sookie had smelled. He had never fed on Ginger before – despite her earnest efforts to entice him into doing so – and he doubted he would again. It was also the first time in a long while that his feeding had not been laced with at least some strange, sexual pleasure, and it was an unpleasant experience all the more for that. Maybe Ginger's blood was truly sweet, but right now his desires and the actuality of what was presented to him were too incongruous for him to properly evaluate her taste.

He sucked down one last, long draw of blood, not bothering to savor it as he normally would. Ginger had at least stopped rubbing against him, and he thought that he had either taken a little too much blood from her, or perhaps she was shaking with bottled sobs. When he lifted his head from the crook of her neck, the girl mumbled a 'thank you' and skittered through the door, nearly crashing into Pam, who was returning, lips stained with blood – Belinda's, Eric assumed.

"That was most unsatisfying," she spat, reaching back to twist her hand into her ponytail as her nose crinkled and she licked the crimson stain from her lips, shuddering as she did so.

"Yes," Eric agreed.

"She smelled different. She is different," Pam's voice was small, and dreamy, and Eric barely heard her. "What is she?"

He snickered. He had asked Bill the same question when calling to request – rather, demand – Sookie's services. Bill had replied almost immediately, clearly quoting, and as he answered Pam, Eric adopted the same mocking, frustrated tone.

"She's a waitress."


	2. Unexpected Depths

_Author's Note: _Well, this took a lot less time than I though it would! And I'm glad of it. I'm really enjoying this so far, and I'm happy to see that it's being fairly well received. I was afraid of how things would work out, since this idea is hardly original and the events are not too different from those of the books. Hopefully, though, as we get further into the books and Eric's role in them grows, I'll have more of an opportunity to explore my own ideas as to what was going on behind scenes.

Until then, I'm glad to see that this fanfic is still garnering some good reviews. Thank you to all of my readers, and I hope you enjoy this second installment!!

To Ends Eternal

_Chapter Two:_

"Unexpected Depths"

* * *

Eric looked up from the swamp of papers on his desk, hearing a murmur of voices from down the hall and assuming it meant that Bill and Sookie had arrived. Finally. They were nearly an hour late. Before he could be properly exasperated by this, the door to his office flung open, slamming against the wall next to it and bouncing back a bit from the impact.

Bill stood in the frame, rage rolling off of him and filling the small room. Pam stood behind him, her face blank and her fangs out. Sookie was draped over one of his shoulders. There were several long, red, raw scratches blazed across her back, and her shirt was little more than strips of cloth now, barely clinging to her. She was bleeding heavily, and the parts of her that were not covered with blood were pale and damp with pain.

"This is on your account," Bill growled, thoughtlessly jostling the injured girl as if to call attention to her. In a room full of vampires, he felt the need to call attention to a bleeding woman. Under different circumstances, the thought would have been laughable.

Sookie's body slumped into an even more helpless position, and she mumbled something incomprehensible as Eric wondered how Bill could possibly pin the blame for this on him, and hoped that the girl was not too badly damaged. He had just promised her services to the vampires of Area Six in Texas, for an impressive fee, and he would hate to have to cancel that particular business dealing. Besides, he had to admit that her company was enjoyable. And he'd yet to succeed in bedding her.

As Bill asked Sookie to repeat her comment, and she weakly told him to go to Hell, Eric stood and made his way across the room. Briefly, he glanced at her back. The wounds would need more than a little attending to, and there was something different about them, something different about her...

"We must lay her on her stomach on the couch. Here, let me..." he said, trailing off as he took hold of her legs. Bill ducked underneath her and the two vampires carefully deposited her on the couch – which was new and had been rather expensive. Eric ordered Pam to call the doctor, and as she left to do so, he knelt next to the couch, by Sookie's face.

"What has happened to you?" he asked.

She was trying to glare at him, he was sure, but her eyes were glazed over and she was struggling to keep her head lifted off the couch. "I am a message to you," she whispered hoarsely. "This woman in the woods made Bill's car stop, maybe even made us argue, and then she came up to me with this hog."

Eric had to stop himself from snickering. "A pig?"

"Oink oink. Razorback. Wild pig." Sookie's voice was wavering, soft and thin. "And she said she wanted to send you a message, and I turned in time to keep her from getting my face, but she got my back, and then she left."

"Your face," Bill murmured miserably, starting to pace. "She would have gotten your face. Eric, her cuts are not so deep. What's wrong with her?"

The blond vampire formed an idea or two about that as he again looked over the wounds on Sookie's back. "Sookie," he asked gently, softening his expression and carefully gazing into the girl's songbird blue eyes. "what did this woman look like?"

Their faces were very close, and Eric remembered well the fantastically enticing scent of her blood. Even just the memory of it made him shiver with hunger, not to mention desire.

Aha. That was what was different tonight. That sweet smell was not present now, despite her wounds working hard to leak as much as possible. She was poisoned, most likely, and the poison could very well have diluted her blood enough to mask its scent. There _were_ rumors floating around that a maenad was in the area...

"She looked nuts, I'll tell you how she looked. And she called you Eric Northman." Her eyes fluttered open and closed a few times with the effort of speaking, but it seemed she was determined to remain conscious.

"That's the last name I use for human dealings. By looking nuts, you mean she looked...how?"

"Her clothes were all ragged and she had blood around her mouth and in her teeth, like she'd just eaten something raw. She was carrying this kind of wand thing, with something on the end of it. Her hair was long and tangled...look, speaking of hair, my hair is getting stuck to my back."

Her hair had darkened since he'd seen her last, and had almost returned to its natural shade from the stunning blond it had been rendered by the ingestion of Bill's blood. Which meant it had been a while since she'd drunk from him, and the bond created by the exchange must have faded. Usually her hair was well-groomed, but now it was tangled, stained with blood, and starting to adhere to her wounds. He worked carefully to remove it, and a small twinge of compunction assaulted him whenever she winced at the pain caused by even such slight movement.

He stopped as Pam returned to his office, a dark dwarf woman following her. Dr. Ludwig – the dwarf - and Eric switched places so that she could inspect her patient, and Bill hovered over both women, not bothering to think it might be more helpful to step out of the way.

"What kind of doctor are you?" Sookie asked. Her voice was very small, barely there, and her eyes were flickering as she clung desperately to consciousness. She was fading. And fast.

"The healing kind," the doctor snapped. "You have been poisoned."

"So that's why I keep thinking I'm gonna die."

"You will, quite soon." The blunt statement shot through everyone in the room. Sookie did not seem to fully grasp it through the thick haze of pain that had descended on her. Bill stiffened to the point where it seemed every muscle in his body was fixing to snap. Pam had confessed to finding Sookie's company amusing, and was perhaps disappointed by the idea of not being able to enjoy it in the future. Eric barely had any feelings for the girl so far – past desire – but in the short months he had known her, he had already risked more for her than he ever had for any other human. He had killed a vampire, murdered a higher being, to save her life. And now, here she was, slipping away anyway.

The doctor had finished explaining the nature of the poison that had effected Sookie, comparing it to the bite of a Komodo dragon, and began describing the process by which she intended to save the girl.

"I can close the exterior wounds. But your bloodstream has been compromised, and must be removed and replaced. That is a job for the vampires. If only one of you takes the poisoned blood, that one will be pretty miserable. It's the element of magic that the maenad imparts. The Komodo dragon bite would be no problem for you guys. So, when I'm finished, each of you will take a turn, removing just a little. Then we'll give her a transfusion."

"Of human blood," Sookie insisted, and she sounded almost like her normal self.

"If Eric can pull some strings and get the human blood, at least half the infusion can be synthetic."

"I can get the blood," Eric interjected smoothly, "and we owe her the healing. What is your type, Sookie?"

"O positive."

For a moment, he had been afraid she would admit to having some rare type, AB negative perhaps, but he was relieved. "That shouldn't be a problem. Can you take care of that, Pam?"

Nodding, Pam left the office speedily, and Dr. Ludwig climbed onto the couch, straddling Sookie's back, removing what remained of her top, and leaning down to begin licking at the wounds there. Sookie shrieked, and the sound ran in tremors through the frames of everyone in the room.

"She's the doctor, Sookie. She will heal you this way," Bill offered.

"But she'll get poisoned," Sookie's protest was lame, and she knew it.

"She is the healer. You must accept her treatment." Eric made sure his voice was soft and kind, and he moved back to his former position by Sookie's face. He was almost overwhelmed by the urge to stroke her hair comfortingly.

"Oh," her voice was thick and slow, and Eric was much more worried about her well-being than he had been before. "all right. By the way, I haven't heard an 'I'm sorry' from you yet."

He could not help but smile; inches from death, and she was fishing for an apology. "I am sorry the maenad picked on you."

"Not enough," she muttered, clearly trying very hard to hang on to the conversation, use it as a tether to reality, to life. Tears were rolling down her cheeks now, and Eric's smile vanished.

"Angelic Sookie," he began softly, and with as much sincerity as he could muster. It was not much, but it was still more than he had expected. "Vision of love and beauty, I am prostrate that the wicked, evil maenad violated your smooth and voluptuous body, in an attempt to deliver a message to me." He hoped she was too far gone to notice that the tiniest hint of worry had colored his words. Bill had, and he made an angry noise in the back of his throat.

"That's more like it...I take it the message means she's going to war with you?"

Eric watched her as she spoke. Her face looked drawn and the color slipped very quickly from her face. As she finished the sentence, a hint of palest blue started to creep into her complexion. "Not exactly," he said absently before calling out for Pam, alarmed.

"It's on its way," Pam assured him. "This is bad."

"Start," Bill urged, begged. "She's changing color."

Sookie finally gave up on keeping her head lifted off of the couch, and as it dropped to rest against the leather cushion, she let out another, long shriek.

Dr. Ludwig moved off of the couch. "Yes, if there's to be any hope..."

Despite the alarmingly urgent nature of the event at hand, Eric still managed to thrill at the thought of tasting Sookie's blood. He'd had a hard time of forgetting the scent that had haunted the room after Long Shadow's murder. Sure, he would be allowed to drink only a little, and it would be tainted with the maenad's poison, but it was still an exciting prospect. Hastily, he slid closer to her, assuring that he would be the first to drink from her. Bill was too worried to protest, and too far away. No one would argue against the logic of having the vampire closest to her begin the process.

Eric paused to wink reassuringly at Sookie, whose eyes immediately rolled back into her head as her lids slid shut heavily. Without another moment of hesitation, he lifted her head from the couch to better expose her slender neck, pulled her into his lap, and sank his fangs in, careful to line them up exactly over the pinpricks left by Bill's, thinking to replace them with his own scabs.

Blood hit tongue, and a whirlwind of adjectives swept through his thoughts. Beautiful. Intoxicating. Scrumptious, wondrous, _arousing_. There was a trace of bitterness laced throughout, but he could ignore it. He pulled Sookie closer to him, intending only to gain easier access to her neck, but her bare breasts were pushed against his chest now, and he moaned deep in his throat, and ran one hand down her side, careful to avoid her wounds.

"Eric," Bill warned, practically writhing in anger.

Eric ignored the other vampire. Sookie's skin was smooth, and her blood was sweet. So sweet...He had wanted, and had, thousands – perhaps tens-of-thousands – of women over the years, but he had never before wanted as deeply as he did Sookie at this very moment. She was delicious, she was beautiful, droll, and she had little to no interest in him. But Eric had always relished a challenge. Most importantly though, at least for the moment, she was delicious. Ambrosial, even.

"That's enough, vampire," the doctor barked. He could tell she was right; the bitterness of the maenad's poison was building up within him. But he took one last, long draw, before the warning bells really went off and he pulled reluctantly away from her, staggering backwards as Bill barreled through him to Sookie's side.

Eric watched the remainder of the process as if through frosted glass. Sookie's blood had sent him into a heavy, dreamy state, what with its intrinsic sweetness and the sedative quality of the poison he had ingested along with it. He'd definitely drunk too much, and was glad that he'd stopped when he did. Even just a sip more could have been miserable. As it was he felt weak, and he stepped backwards slowly, trying to find his way to the chair at his desk without the others noticing his current state. In reality, he could have pirouetted to his desk and no one would have taken note. They were all too fixated on saving Sookie.

Bill was finished, and leaving the room to find another vampire to help with the transfusion, and Pam was gasping delightedly at her first bite of Sookie. The doctor watched intently, carefully warning Pam as she neared the amount of blood she would be able to handle.

Long Shadow's replacement, a tattooed Asian named Chow, came to relieve her. With an air of authority Eric did not have the presence of mind to notice, let alone admonish, Bill asked Pam to remain in the room after the transfusion was complete, until Sookie was awake and well.

"And you," he growled, turning to Eric. "We have matters to discuss."

"Do we?" the blond asked bitingly, pressing the tips of his fingers together and raising a brow. The statement had brought him back to himself, and he was ready to play Bill's game. Eric stood and motioned to the door, and Bill followed him through. They made their way to the front of the bar, where the night was now in full swing, oblivious to the girl on the couch in his office, half naked and half dead.

Once they had taken a seat at his usual booth, Eric silently held his hands out to Bill, palms up, allowing him to speak.

"Sookie is mine," he said, predictably.

"I'd heard," Eric said mockingly, adopting the tone a housewife might have used to respond to a particularly juicy bit of gossip.

"You are dangerously close to crossing lines, Eric."

"I acted only in the interest of saving her life. You should thank me, not rebuke me," his voice was cold, and the subtext of his words rang out loud and clear. Bill was the one who was in danger, for Eric was sheriff and the other vampire was approaching rebelliousness. Sookie was Bill's in the spirit of an ancient tradition that was fading fast as more and more vampires attempted to mainstream. Even if the claim was as strong as it would have been a hundred, or even fifty, years ago, Eric still outranked Bill. He could easily command Bill to hand the girl over, could easily take her for himself, and no one would think to call him on breaching the dusty protocol. But, really, where was the fun in that? If – when – Sookie came to him, she would do so because she chose to.

"You enjoyed it far too much for my liking."

Eric had enjoyed it a little too much for his own liking, truth be told. His fingertips were tingling from their contact with her skin, and his mind had only just stopped spinning with the taste of her blood. He straightened his posture and silently challenged Bill to pursue this conversation any further. "You are abnormally attached to this human."

The dark-haired vampire was silent for a long moment, and he looked down at his hands, which were folded on the table in front of him. "Perhaps," he answered finally.

"She may be yours in body and blood, Bill Compton," Eric reminded him, "but her mind is at my disposal; she made a deal with me. You cannot keep her from me."

There was another prolonged silence, and it was apparent that Bill was mulling something over. He lifted his gaze to Eric, setting a stony glare on the other vampire and speaking hesitantly.

"It may be in our best interests to make a deal ourselves."

Brows raising, intrigued, Eric considered this for a short while. "Go on."

"It may well be that I will not always be capable of protecting her from those who would wish to use her ability for their own gains."

Eric was surprised. It was unusual to hear vampires talk like this, as if they had only a limited amount of time left in the world. He was surprised, and suspicious.

"If this becomes the case, I will send her to you. If you will agree to protect her under such circumstances, I will...forget your past advances on her."

The blond smirked. "And if Sookie should come to me of her own free will?"

"I will accept that," Bill answered, more quickly than Eric had expected him to.

"So, Bill, am I right in assuming that you expect to be placed in some danger and that if you meet your true end, Sookie will be mine?"

"If she will have you, yes."

Eric laughed. He was deeply suspicious of Bill's motivations behind his relationship with Sookie, as well as those behind this proposal of his, but it would be handy to have such a deal behind him; to remind Bill, when the time came – and it would come – that he could do nothing about Eric's acquiring Sookie.

"Then it would seem we are in agreement. Sookie is yours, for now. And when she is mine, you will not interfere." Grinning, he stood and returned to the back halls of the bar, leaving no room for further discussion.

***

When everyone was once again gathered in his office, Eric had a hard time of keeping his eyes off of Sookie. She was sitting in his chair, wearing one of his shirts, and it was white. This not only made her skin seem exceptionally tan, but also made it very easy to tell that she was not wearing a bra. Her breasts were perky enough that the difference was not _very_ noticeable, but he could just barely make out the ghost of her nipples beneath the fabric. Surprisingly, he'd neglected to get a proper look at her when she was topless, and helpless, in this very room only hours ago, but he thought that for now he could appreciate the tantalizing preview and wait for the opportunity to see more later. As she thanked the vampires, sounding at least sincere if not warm, Eric briefly wondered what else she was – or wasn't – wearing underneath his shirt.

"It was truly my pleasure," Chow leered in response to her thanks, "It would have been perfect, without the poison."

Eric watched Bill tense, and said, "It was worth ingesting the poison," kissing the tips of his fingers as if praising a fine wine. Sookie made a face, and Eric thought that it was perhaps just as amusing watching her reactions to his theatricalities as it was watching Bill's. The exchange of pleasantries continued for another moment, and once it was through Eric jumped on yet another chance to tease the couple. "You two had a fight before Sookie's encounter with the maenad? Is that what I heard Sookie say?"

"That's our business," Sookie snapped, before changing the subject. "By the way, why did you want us to come over here tonight, anyway?"

"You remember your promise to me, Sookie? That you would use your mental ability to help me out, as long as I let the humans involved live?"

"Of course I remember," she replied, in a tone that made very clear just how unintelligent she thought one would have to be to forget a promise made to a vampire.

"Since Bill has been appointed investigator of Area Five, we have not had a lot of mysteries. But, Area Six, in Texas, has need of your special asset. So we have loaned you out."

"I won't go without Bill."

Bill barely reacted. Nothing more than a quick squeeze of his fingers on Sookie's shoulder. The girl straightened her posture, slowly, mindful of her barely-healed wounds. The white shirt rose up a bit with the motion, and Eric caught the briefest glimpse of white lace panties. He grinned broadly, knowing his fangs were out.

"He'll be there. We drove a hard bargain. We were afraid they might keep you, or kill you, so an escort was part of our deal all along. And who better than Bill? If anything should render Bill incapable of guarding you," Eric paused, staring pointedly at the other vampire, "we will send another escort right out. And the vampires of Dallas have agreed to providing a car and chauffeur, lodgings and meals, and, of course, a nice fee. Bill will get a percentage of that. You must work out your financial arrangements with Bill. I am sure he will at least recompense you for your time away from your bar job."

"Why a maenad?" Sookie asked suddenly. "Naiads are water, and dryads are trees, right? So, why a maenad, out there in the woods? Weren't maenads just women driven mad by the god Bacchus?"

Everyone in the room blinked, and it took Eric a moment to decide how he wanted to respond to that. "Sookie," he said, "you have unexpected depths."

Chow launched into an explanation of the origins of maenads, and Eric participated in the resulting conversation absently. Yes, he would have to figure out a fitting tribute for the maenad, or she would wreak havoc on his business, and who knew what means she might resort to if her initial message had been conveyed with an attempt at disfiguring, and possibly killing, Sookie. No, no one wanted a repeat of the Halloween massacre of 1876, Eric especially. He'd been there, he'd seen the damage a slighted handmaiden could inflict.

But at the moment, he was more concerned with Sookie's trip to Dallas. The Texas vampires were not enemies, but their relationship was neutral at best. He easily made the decision to follow Bill and Sookie to Dallas. No one would blame him for taking extensive interest in something on which a large amount of income depended. Especially not if his own well-being depended upon that income. He'd murdered Long Shadow, after all, and Hot Rain - Long Shadow's sire – had demanded a more than substantial financial recompense.

Besides, Bill seemed more interested in his own well-being than Sookie's. His immediate concern was on the danger he was expecting for not only his girlfriend, but also for himself. Eric wondered if this had any connection to whatever it was that tied the dark-haired vampire to his little telepath. All things considered, Bill might not be the best escort after all, and if Sookie were killed, the opportunity to exploit her ability for monetary gain would die as well.

Yes, he would follow them to Dallas. There was too much to be monitored, and if he were already in Texas when this mysterious danger befell Bill, it would be that much easier to ensure that Eric himself were the escort replacing him.

Then there was the matter of finding tribute for the maenad. If memory served him, the customary offering was fine wine and a well-bred bull. And where better to find quality cattle than Texas?


	3. Suspirations

_Author's Note: _Wow-o! This fic is going much more quickly than I anticipated. I'm really enjoying writing it, and I'm glad to see that you readers seem to be enjoying the reading! Thank you to those of you who have reviewed and/or added me/the story to your favourites or alert list!! I appreciate it all.

One note before we get on to the next chapter; I would like to mention that in writing this, I am assuming that (since this is posted in the SVM category and not the True Blood category) the readers have already read the Southern Vampire Mysteries series. As such, when some information I feel is not entirely important to what I want to focus on in this fic, or would feel too much like rehashing if I absolutely faithfully reported it, I will instead merely gloss over it. If you feel uninformed because of this glossing over, then I apologize, but as this book will follow all nine novels existing in the canon (and possibly any yet to be released), I have assumed that my readers already know all there is to know of these events. Which also means I should mention to those readers who may not have read all of the SVM books, or have merely watched the TV series, this story _will_ contain spoilers, for all books.

Thanks again!

To Ends Eternal

_Chapter Three:_

"Suspirations"

* * *

The meeting with Stan, sheriff of the Dallas vampires, had been brief, and had gone well. There was, of course, the chance that one of Stan's underlings would have recognized Eric, but thankfully not one of those who had carried out negotiations regarding Sookie's services had been present at the nest when Eric came to introduce himself. Stan had not suspected a thing, and Eric was glad of it. He'd caught some fragments of conversation about his own shrewdness in the dealings, and obviously Dallas's sheriff was not pleased with him.

And Bill and Sookie had done well enough, not once indicating they knew 'Leif' as anything other than he was supposed to be – a stranger visiting from California. Sookie had even deftly waved off any suspicion that Leif was a spy, something for which Eric may have to thank her. So, he decided to stop by the room she shared with Bill.

Even from the hall he could hear the low, soft moans and rustle of clothing indicating that the couple wouldn't quite welcome Eric's praise. He waited a moment, grinning and stooping to pick up a shred of black thong from the floor by the door as he heard bodies slam gently against a wall inside. Then, he knocked brusquely.

"Go away," Bill growled from within the room.

"I need to talk to you," Eric said.

Sookie's voice was quiet, but he heard her words anyway. "No. Say it isn't Eric..."

"It's Eric," he responded. After a long moment, Bill opened the door, and the other vampire caught only the briefest of glimpses of Sookie, wearing only a rumpled skirt and a bra, before she disappeared into the bedroom.

"Eric," Bill fixed his sheriff with a stern glare as he acknowledged him.

"Bill," Eric returned, ignoring the glare and remaining pleased as Punch. "Wonderful job tonight, my friend. I was glad to see you did not, in any way, betray me to Stan. That could have created quite a mess. I hear he's none too pleased with the way I handled our business arrangements."

"And this is why it was necessary for you to follow us to Dallas and present yourself to him falsely?"

Eric ignored the question. He probably could have met Stan with his real identity, but where was the fun in that?

"I believe the two of you made quite the impression yourselves," he continued smoothly. "The Dallas vampires were impressed with what they saw, and there will be no denying that our Area is one to be reckoned with. I commend your efforts."

Sookie returned then, wrapped in a thin, nylon, pale pink robe. The color did well for her complexion, and the robe was short, and fell open much lower than she probably would have liked.

"And, of course, you were marvelous, Sookie," he continued.

Sookie scoffed, her annoyance written very clearly on her face. "Oh, thanks so much for coming up to tell us this. We couldn't have gone to bed without a pat on the back from you."

"Oh, dear," Eric murmured, feigning innocence, "did I interrupt something? Would these – well, this – be yours, Sookie?" He held up his index finger and thumb, and dangling from between them was the thong-string he'd retrieved from the floor outside the room. Sookie's blushed fiercely, and her pulse quickened in embarrassment. Both of these happenings were quite attractive; the jump of blood in her veins, and the slow, delicious spread of it as it rose closer to the surface of her skin.

"In a word, yes," Bill interjected, oh-so coldly. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss with us, Eric?"

There was. It was hardly important; he only wanted to keep informed on what exactly it was Stan wanted Sookie to do for him.

"We haven't got time tonight," he admitted, "since daylight is so soon, and there are things I need to attend to before I sleep. But tomorrow night we must meet. When you find out what Stan wants you to do, leave me a note at the desk, and we'll make an arrangement."

"Good-bye then," the other vampire said, nodding.

Eric let his attention trail its way from the refrigerator to Sookie's body, smirking as he then swept his gaze over her, savoring the sight. "You don't want a nightcap?" he asked Bill, though he was staring Sookie right in the eye. "Warm from the vessel?"

Bill's glare was steely, and his jaw clenched. But he made no effort to admonish Eric, and made no request for the blond to either cease his advances on Sookie or leave the room. He was merely waiting. In his mind, what Eric had meant to be only a tease had been an invitation – and as per the deal they'd made the night of the maenad's attack, Bill was not allowed to interfere should Sookie choose to accept this invitation.

Eric could have easily changed his way of thinking about the question, and treated it just as Bill had clearly chosen to, but Eric knew that if he turned this into a contest, it would be one he could not win. Right now, Sookie wouldn't have to think twice; she would never choose Eric over Bill. But if he put in his time, and if Bill's attachment to the girl was as suspect as Eric thought it might be, then eventually she would.

For now, he just kept his attention on Sookie, continued teasing her with a pleased smirk, and backed out of the room. Even as the door shut in front of him, his grin was in place and his eyes were on the telepath.

He waited outside for a moment, heard Sookie wonder if he would in fact be doing so, if he would be listening as she and Bill returned to the activities Eric had interrupted. The vampire immediately turned away, vexed that she thought he would find enjoyment out of eavesdropping on a couple making love. He didn't need to stoop to such base activities to amuse himself, and, frankly, even just the thought of Bill touching Sookie disgusted Eric. He did not generally find the thought of others engaging in sexual activities with women he wanted appealing, obviously, but neither did he usually find himself overly displeased by them. Why it should be _so_ repulsive to him now was a matter he would examine later, if ever. The answer would have been obvious, if he was human...but he was not; he was vampire, and so there had to be a more complex explanation.

Switching gears, Eric re-focused his mind on business. He had made arrangements with a cattle ranch just outside of the city. The manager had promised to rise even earlier than usual to accommodate the vampire, and Eric had in turn promised to pay most handsomely for their finest bull. Sunrise was only two hours away, but it would not take long to get to the ranch if he flew.

He'd learned enough about livestock in his living years, and had continued to practice that knowledge enough throughout his "after life", to know if someone was trying to pull the wool over his eyes, and was confident enough in his own intimidation to suspect that he would be well off on his own for this mission.

When he arrived, the rancher was waiting for him at the gate, and Eric was glad that he had decided to walk the last stretch of dirt road leading to the property. The man had been surprised by the speed and ease of vampire movement, and was now fidgeting and shifting his weight nervously. Seeing Eric fly would not have made things any easier for him to digest.

"Sir," the man said, nodding deeply as Eric slowed to approach him at a more human pace. "Hank Mayfield. Thanks for looking us up." He offered Eric his hand, and the vampire looked down at it briefly, indifferently, before ignoring it altogether.

"Eric Northman. I appreciate you rising early to accommodate my needs." He said it with no sincerity, and Hank noticed. The rancher screwed his lips into a nervous, annoyed pout.

"Well, uh, your man said on the phone that you were looking for a bull, for breeding?"

For breeding? Maybe. You never knew with a maenad. Eric grinned. "Sure. Your best."

"I'll show him to you, Mr. Northman, but I've got to admit selling you my best bull might not be an option. He's more valuable to me if he's still here on the ranch."

Eric cast a sidelong glance at Hank, and quirked one eyebrow. "How much could you sell him for at auction?"

Hank Mayfield looked up as he did a few mental calculations. "At least forty-five thousand, maybe fifty."

"I will pay one hundred."

The rancher's eyes popped open and he ran a hand over his stubbly jaw. "Wow..._wow_. Well, in that case, why don't we head on over to the pasture and look things over."

They climbed into an old Land Rover, hailing from at least the early sixties, and drove about two or three minutes, past empty, fenced in fields, to one dotted with Texas Longhorns. Hank explained that at this time, most of the cattle would be sleeping out by the thin stretch of wood at the eastern edge of their paddock, but that the bull in question was being held apart from the heifers, in the breeding pen.

It was easy to appreciate the majesty of the beast. He was massive, his horns were massive, and he was snow white, practically glowing against the dark night. And Hank was clearly very proud of him.

"There he is," he breathed, "Tip-to-tip, his horns're just under seven feet. HMA would be 82/48."

"HMA?" Eric asked absently. He was busy watching the animal as it rose slowly and came to the edge of the pen. It knew it was the topic of conversation, and seemed almost proud of this.

"Horns per Month of Age. He's got 82 inches of horn, and he's four years old. He's real gentle too, won't give you any problems with handling. We thought about training him as a riding steer, actually, but he's just too beautiful to take out of the gene pool, if you ask me."

"A riding steer, did you say?"

"Yeah, the Texas Longhorn is a pretty gentle breed of cattle. And they're smaller than other breeds, so a lot of breeders have taken to training them for riding. People have been riding cows almost as long as they've been riding horses, really. The business is growing in popularity right now, and we've got a handful of riders for sale."

Eric digested this information. That was something a maenad might enjoy, come to think of it. Perhaps it would be wise to purchase a riding steer as well as a bull.

"May I?" he asked, climbing out of the Land Rover without waiting for Hank's permission, and making his way towards the fence containing the bull. He kind of hop-flew over it, and it happened so quickly that the rancher blinked several times, wondering exactly how the vampire had gotten inside the pen. Eric approached the animal slowly, holding one hand out in front of him. He thought about crouching a little, to try and make his height a little less intimidating, but some slumbering knowledge from days long, long past crept to the front of his mind and warned him that this gesture would instead imply submission and fear.

The bull turned towards him, snorted impatiently, and a small smirk graced Eric's lips as his hand came into contact with the beast's velvety nose. The touch was vaguely familiar; a memory displayed behind frosted glass. But the view cleared a little as the bull lowed, and the years slid off of Eric's back. Once more, the air around him was crisp and cold, and warm blood shivered in his veins as he tended to the few cattle his father had owned.

"_Gri____ðungrinn er fr____ægiligr__," _he murmured, his native language sliding off his tongue smoothly. It took him a moment to realize that Hank was looking at him strangely, and that his words had not been spoken in English.

"The bull is magnificent," he corrected, turning back to the rancher. "He will serve our purposes quite nicely, I believe."

_***_

Sookie was missing. The bell-boy at the Silent Shore hotel had successfully relayed the message she had apparently telepathically telegraphed to him, but Bill was having trouble picking up her trail. She was no longer at the Fellowship of the Sun headquarters, where Stan had sent her to recover one of his nest-mates. Bill was nearing frantic, and Eric was frustrated enough to take matters into his own hands. He had planned to head to the hospital where a vampire police officer had said Sookie was being treated, to see if Bill's failure to find her was due to her being admitted under a false name, but as he stepped out into the night, an exclamation from the sidewalk drew his attention to a young woman who was being shoved out of a car. The vehicle screeched down the street, and the driver let out a long, wild howl as they drove away. The girl, was Sookie.

"Sookie?" he called to her. She was a mess. She was blindfolded with a rather fine, but now rumpled and stained scarf. Her blond hair was flattened and tangled, one of her cheeks was swollen, bruised, and there was a deep cut in the middle of the bruise. One of her knees was swollen too, and she wobbled as she tried to put weight on it. She was bruised all over, in fact, and she wore a torn denim skirt, and a floral blouse which was also torn, and missing most of its buttons.

"Eric?" She sounded almost thankful as she fumbled with the scarf tied around her eyes, and he moved towards her, pulling at the knot and removing the make-shift blindfold easily.

"What has happened to you?" he asked. Up close, her injuries looked even more severe. He grabbed her arm, gently, to keep her from toppling to the pavement, and a tiny spark of worry flared within him.

"I got...well, it's hard to explain in a second. Where is Bill?"

Eric briefly explained that Bill was busy looking for her, noting that her attention switched easily to the bellhop once his role in the mess was mentioned.

"Poor Barry," she said. "Is he alright?"

"The richer for several hundred dollars, and quite happy about it. Now we just need Bill." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and gave her another quick survey. He had interacted with her only a handful of times, but had still rarely ever seen her uninjured. "What a lot of trouble you are, Sookie," he remarked.

He dialed Bill's number, and waited through several rings before the other vampire picked up.

"What?" Bill practically snapped.

"Bill," Eric answered smoothly. "She is here. Some shapeshifters brought her in."

"Thank God. Is she alright?"

"Battered, but walking." As soon as Eric had finished speaking, Bill began rambling about how he would be there soon, and how worried he'd been, and Eric barely took in the other vampire's words. "Sookie, do you have your key?"

"Yes," she breathed, unendingly thankful, after quickly checking the pocket of her skirt. "Oh, wait! Did they get Farrell?"

Eric held up a hand to her, and decided to finally interrupt Bill's relieved chatter. It was not only annoying, but upsetting. Chatter was very uncharacteristic of vampires in general, let alone one as taciturn as Bill usually was.

"Bill, I'll take her up and start doctoring," he sighed, exasperated.

Bill immediately silenced, for a brief moment, before growling, "You will do no such thing."

"Bill," Eric said, low and firm, every muscle in his body tensing. The one word said more than enough. It not only clearly conveyed that this was finally too close to overstepping boundaries for Eric to pretend to ignore in order to honor Bill's claim on Sookie, but also that Sookie was obviously in need of further medical attention, and since she had already slipped out of the hospital without permission...

"Your wish, Sheriff," the other conceded, though his voice was laden with venom.

"All right, then. Good-bye." As Eric hung up, he turned back to Sookie, to answer her question. "Yes, Farrell is safe. They raided the Fellowship."

Sookie did not look at all relieved as they headed into the hotel, and towards the elevator. "Did...did many people get hurt?"

Eric blinked. It was curious how much the girl cared about people other than herself. That was a trait he was unused to, even in humans. "Most of them were too frightened to approach," he assured her, "They scattered and went home. Farrell was in an underground cell with Hugo."

"Oh, yes, Hugo. What happened to Hugo?"

They had made very little progress in their trek to the elevator; Sookie was limping, badly, and Eric was struggling with his own patience as he matched her pace.

"May I carry you?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't think so," the girl sighed, "I've made it this far."

Finally, they made it to the elevator, and as the doors slid open, Eric perhaps ushered Sookie inside a little more quickly than she could handle. He punched the button for the third floor, and leaned heavily against the mirrored wall. For some reason, one he could not pick out, dealing with Sookie was making him anxious tonight. Maybe it had something to do with how delicately he would have to treat her, given her current state. But this was not the first time he had dealt with injured women, or even an injured Sookie, and he had seen her much worse off than this.

This was, however, the first time he had ever been alone with her...

"Oh, no," the words were wrenched from her throat in horror as she inspected her reflection in the walls of the elevator cabin. "Oh, no!" She sobbed, and started to crumple. Eric rushed forward to support her, lifting her back to her feet, and pulling her right to his side.

"Sookie," he murmured comfortingly, "a bath and clean clothes and you will be put to rights."

Again, she sobbed, and managed to squeeze out one last thought before they stepped out of the elevator, into the hall. "The werewolf thought you were cute," she said.

"The werewolf?" he repeated, with a small smile. "Sookie, you have had adventures tonight." Carefully, he picked her up, and held her to him as tightly as he could without agitating her injuries. Her body quivered with the efforts of weeping, and she curled a fist into his shirt, burying her face in his chest.

He paused for a moment, halting their progress to the hotel room, but Sookie did not notice. She was warm, and comfortable, in his arms. And so small, so fragile. A flash of longing passed through him; to be warm again. To be warm and know the touch of sunlight on his skin, to be fragile, and to be small – another passing blip of life, rather than a sustained hum of death.

And, more than anything, to continue holding Sookie. He wanted nothing more than to tangle his hand in her hair and murmur comforts into her ear, to stop her from crying.

Eric clenched his jaw, steeled himself against the strange wave of such innocent desires, and continued towards room 314.

The girl's sobs subsided, and she lifted her head, apologizing miserably as she noticed the stain of tears and snot she had left on his suit.

"Don't cry again," he said hastily. His reaction to her tears had disturbed him. It had been at _least_ a thousand years since he had truly wanted to comfort a woman. "Just...don't start crying again, and I won't mind taking this to the cleaners. I won't even mind getting a whole new suit."

Sookie picked up on his discomfort, and a small, half-snicker snuck in between her sobs.

"Something funny?" Eric dared her

Shaking her head as he carefully lowered her onto her own feet, she slid her key into the door, and the two entered the room.

"I'll help you into the tub if you like, Sookie," he offered, gently guiding her in the direction of the bathroom.

"Oh, I don't think so," she answered, breaking away from him and easing herself into a nearby chair. His only intention when offering to help her had been to, well, help her. Oddly enough, there was no ulterior motive. But Sookie thought there was, and Eric resented this.

"I'll bet you are a treat naked," he said, playing along with her misconception. Not that he hadn't before considered just how delightful a view her bare body would be.

"You know it. I'm just as tasty as a big éclair. Though at the moment I feel more like a boudain."

Eric did not know what a boudain was, but he assumed it was nothing delicate. He evaluated the room quickly, found another chair, and pushed it closer to Sookie's so that she could elevate her wounded knee. He then moved towards the phone, and called down to room service, requesting tweezers, a bowl, some anti-septic ointment, and a rolling chair. It was not long at all before someone arrived with the desired items.

He rearranged the room a bit, moving the small desk that had been up against a wall to Sookie's right, resting her arm on it and switching on the bright lamp that had accompanied it. Gently, he cleaned her arm with a wet washcloth, surprising himself with the patience with which he proceeded. A thousand-year existence made it difficult to be surprised by much, yet this woman had presented him with so many unexpected situations, and in such a short span of time, too.

When he'd finished that, he began removing the tiny shards of glass that had embedded themselves in her arm. She flinched at the first pinch of shard being plucked from flesh, and Eric watched a tear slide down her cheek as she rolled her lower lip in her teeth, clearly fighting to keep silent.

"If you were an ordinary girl I could glamour you and you wouldn't feel this," he said softly. "Be brave."

He continued working, and she continued crying silently. The request to 'be brave' had been unnecessary, he knew. If Sookie were not a brave woman, she would not have sustained these injuries in the first place. In fact, she was perhaps the bravest human – male or female – he had met in recent times; probably in at least a century. Humankind was becoming soft and pudgy, and pathetic.

Eric had to admit to admiring this quality in her. She was, indeed, no ordinary girl. She was a human telepath, her bravery was exceptional, she was much sharper than he'd ever expect someone from a back-woods burg deep in the American south could be...

The small cuts on her arm began to bleed a little. Of course, that was another extraordinary quality Sookie possessed. He almost shivered with longing at the opportunity to have even such a small taste of her blood again. Without hesitating, or asking permission, he leaned down to lick at her arm. It was only courteous, after all, for humans who had bleeding injuries (even one as minor as a paper cut) to allow any vampire who happened to be around at the time to clean the wound.

Sookie barely registered the contact of his tongue on her arm, she was too busy holding back the small sobs Eric knew were waiting at the back of her throat. His fangs extended, and he mimicked Sookie's efforts at silence, knowing that if he gave in to his desire to moan, she would instantly jump away from him and order him out of the room. He was tempted, also, to truly feed on her. His fangs hovered over her skin, but instead of sinking them in, he merely let the tips rest against her arm for the shortest of seconds, before closing his lips together and pressing them gently against the wound he had been drawing blood from.

Her blood was even more intoxicating, more delicious, than it had been the first time he'd been able to drink from her. It was not diluted with poison, this time, and so the effects of such a small amount were just as strong as they had been when he'd consumed a considerably larger quantity.

Eric struggled to continue carefully with his work. A haze of pleasure had descended on him, very nearly blurring his vision with the headiness of desire. He wanted, badly, to drink more of Sookie's blood. He wanted Sookie. He just wanted.

That was all this girl had ever made him do; want. Tonight, she'd made him want things he hadn't even _remembered_ desiring in a thousand years.

Bill entered the room then, and Eric found it easier than usual to ignore him, now that he was pleasantly buzzed thanks to the few licks he'd had of Sookie's blood. He listened to their conversation, and Sookie's account of what had happened to her at The Fellowship of the Sun, with minimal interest, and directed most of his limited focus on removing the remaining shards of glass from Sookie's arm. When she began recounting what had almost happened to her at the hands of the human Gabe, however, he halted.

Anger churned inside him, and as Bill pulled aside Sookie's blouse, Eric could not stop himself from inspecting her torn bra and the series of dark, dark bruises that had been left on her chest. In his human years, rape had been something Eric could not abide the thought of, and it continued as such even after his turning. He had been physically brutal to many humans, yes, but sexually brutal? Not once. He did not have many moral discrepancies now that he was vampire, but he drew the line there.

Then again, hearing about such incidents had never before incited such rage in him. He'd rolled his eyes and scoffed in disdain, maybe, but he didn't usually react like this. His hands were curled into fists, and the blood-trance he was under wavered a bit with the force of his anger.

He did not know why Sookie should affect him in such a manner. He didn't know why she had brought forth strange, ancient longings, or why the thought of her being brutalized should be as abhorred by his conscious as it was, and it disturbed him.

What he did know, however, was that Gabe was lucky to have already met his end, and that, should Bill ever hurt Sookie in any way, he too would be lucky to escape from Eric's anger.


	4. Louder Than Words

_Author's Note:_ Sooo...Sorry this took longer than the other chapters to get up. First I was bedridden for a week after getting my wisdom teeth removed. Then I was bedridden for two weeks because I caught the dreaded swine flu. Then there was Thanksgiving, finals, Christmas, New Year's...and then I had some trouble actually writing this chapter. I wasn't sure where I wanted to end it, and I had trouble with the balance of emotions in this chapter. My impression while reading the novels was that this is around the time when Eric first starts recognizing only the most basic elements of his feelings for Sookie, so I wanted to remain pretty light-handed with that...but at the same time, scenes that are coming up fairly quickly imply that Eric already realizes what the extent of his feelings for her really are (at least, realizes what they are, so far, at this point in the series).

I _think_ I've found a nice balance, but am not quite sure. Also, I'm a little upset with the brevity of this chapter...so I apologize for it being a little short. But, really, the next scene I planned on writing didn't quite fit with the timeline after careful review, and the next pre-existing scene I plan on working with would make this chapter too long.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!! Hopefully the next one won't take as long to complete.

To Ends Eternal

_Chapter Four:_

"Louder than Words"

* * *

Sookie's face was still badly bruised, and she was still limping heavily as Eric watched her make her way through the crowd to settle on the couch. He could have been spending his time socializing with the other vampires in attendance, those who were celebrating the return of Farrell to his nest. But all they seemed interested in discussing was Sookie, and Eric had already heard too many versions – all inaccurate - of the happenings at the Fellowship of the Sun. Apparently, Dallas vampires were no better about gossiping than humans.

Other than her swollen knee, Sookie's body was in as fine condition as ever and Eric's boredom, coupled with the dark brownish-grey dress she was wearing like a second skin, made it difficult not to pay attention to this. Admiration, though, quickly gave way to recollection. Sookie was now conversing with a strange woman with deep red hair that was gelled into spikes, and Eric stopped ogling, and started scrutinizing. He had not yet forgotten the longings she had dredged up the other night, and he knew they would not be easily dismissed.

It was puzzling, that this woman – that any woman – should spark such desires in him. He had actually thought, for the first time in at least nine hundred years, how nice it might be to be human again. He'd wanted to soothe her, to hold her in a non-sexual, comforting way. Though these thoughts had only flashed across his mind, they had existed nonetheless, and could not be ignored.

Sookie was different, yes, but he had encountered other outliers before; people who had qualities – supernatural or not – which set them apart from the rest of humankind. But she was different still. Somehow, she stood separated even from this handful of others.

The girl that had been talking to Sookie left, and because exploration was, obviously, the best means of discovery, Eric crossed the room to take the woman's seat at Sookie's right. Instead of brooding and wondering what it was about the blond telepath that affected him the way she did, he would make sure to plumb her depths and find out for himself.

When he sat next to her, Sookie's eyes were squeezed shut, and she took in a deep, disheartened breath as she felt his weight on the cushion. She opened her eyes, then slid her gaze sideways to inspect her new companion. She did not seem pleased to find Eric there. He ignored this.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Better than I look."

Eric did not believe that. Her eyes and shoulders were weighted with weariness, and the muscles of her face were strained with the effort of appearing politely entertained. "You've seen Hugo and Isabel?" he asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes." Sookie blushed and folded her hands into her lap, and stared pointedly at them.

"Appropriate, don't you think?" He thought so. Appropriate, if not a little lax.

"In a way, yes. Assuming Stan sticks to his word."

Eric nearly laughed. "You didn't say that to him, I hope," he said, amazed that the girl wasn't too scared to even think such a thing. Part of him knew she had at least hinted to Stan that he was required to hold back on his punishment.

"No, I didn't. Not in so many words. You're all so damn proud."

"Yes, I guess that's true," he said, quirking a brow. There really was not much guessing about it.

"Did you come just to check up on me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"To Dallas?"

She nodded.

He shrugged. "Yes. We are loaning you out for the first time. I wanted to see that things went smoothly without being here in my official capacity." It was best not to mention his motives involving discovering _Bill's_ motives for courting Sookie.

"Do you think Stan knows who you are?"

"It's not far-fetched," he said after a moment of contemplation. No one in the nest had given him any indication that his true identity had been discovered, but it was absolutely possible that Stan had found him out, and just given his underlings orders not to reveal this. "He would probably have done the same thing in my place."

An air of sadness wrapped around her, and she murmured softly, "Do you think from now on, you could just let me stay at home, and leave me and Bill alone?"

Eric watched her for a moment. Her eyes were still in her lap, and her body had stiffened in anticipation of his answer. He could not leave her alone. There was far too much she could do for him, and far too much about her he still had to figure out.

"No," he said finally, "you are too useful." He paused, and nearly laughed at himself as he continued. "Besides, I'm hoping that the more you see me, the more I'll grow on you."

He examined her as she decided how to respond to that. She had unfolded her hands, and without realizing it, leaned in just a tiny bit closer to him. The dress she was wearing fit far too snugly to allow for a bra, and he allowed himself to check for panty-lines. He suspected the dress was for panties as well. He was right.

"Like a fungus?" she asked.

He laughed, but knew his gaze had locked on her, hard. "You look especially luscious in that knit dress with nothing underneath," he said, gambling on her reaction to the comment. "If you left Bill and came to me of your own free will, he would accept that." He would have to.

"But I'm not going to do any such thing," Sookie murmured.

Eric barely opened his mouth, planning to make some ambiguous comment on how she might change her tune in the future, but almost immediately her hand clamped over his mouth. He was tempted, sorely tempted, to maneuver just enough to wrap his lips around the tip of her index finger, but then he noticed the slight, odd movements of her head. She was turning from side to side, leaning forward, then back...searching for the right angle at which to hear something.

"Help me up," she whispered. As he stood, her fingers slipped away from his mouth, and despite the grave expression on Sookie's face, tiny shivers of pleasure lingered on his lips. He ignored them, and reached down to gently lift the girl to her feet. She clung to him, too focused on honing in on whatever stray thought she had overheard to bother figuring out how to balance on her one good leg. He watched carefully as her eyebrows drew together, before flying into alarmed arches.

"Eric," she whispered, her voice shaking. And then, at the top of her lungs, "Hit the floor!"

His first thought was of protecting Sookie. Whatever was happening, he was likely to survive it. She was not. He pulled her close, flung the both of them to the ground, and hoped that landing on her would prevent more damage than it caused.

She started to push him away, but soon realized the danger in that, and stopped with her hands on his chest. Over the next couple of minutes, Eric sheltered her, soaking in the excitement and shuddering at the overwhelming scent of blood that was released into the air. He could hear and sense the other vampires as they leaped through the shower of bullets to tear into their attackers, and it took a great deal of self control to stop himself from joining them. Gods, he loved a good battle. But, Sookie.

He focused on her. Her eyes were screwed shut, and her heart was _racing_, pounding inside her ribcage. Adrenaline was surging through her veins, raising her temperature ever so slightly, but enough to bring the scent of her blood that much closer to her skin. His fangs ran out. She was breathing heavily, and if it weren't for her hands – resting so lightly on his chest – her breasts would have been pressed, heaving, against him.

The assault slowed, and she cautiously opened her eyes, gazing right up into his own. She was terrified, and as he assessed this new scent on her, one of the last bullets found its mark in his shoulder, ripping through his flesh in a blaze of heat.

"I knew I'd get on top of you somehow," he murmured thickly, thinking she'd be distracted enough by the comment to forget her fear, and that her reaction would help distract him from the wound he had just acquired.

"Are you trying to make me mad so I'll forget how scared I am?" she asked.

"No," he lied smoothly, "I'm just opportunistic."

Now that the rain of bullets had ceased, Sookie squirmed beneath him, trying to get out from under him, and the movement had a wondrous effect on his already highly aroused state.

"Oh, do that again. It felt great," he purred.

"Eric, that girl I was just talking to is about three feet away from us with part of her head missing." Sookie's voice was low, and sad, and only a little admonishing.

He cast his attention to where the girl was lying, and after a quick survey, realized that although she was indeed missing a good portion of her head, she was still _barely_ alive.

"Sookie," he said, all joking behind him, "I've been dead for a few hundred years. I am used to it. But she is not quite gone. There is a spark. Do you want me to bring her over?" He hoped the answer would be 'no'. With that much of her brain missing or damaged, the girl would be a nuisance worse than Bubba, even.

Sookie's mouth was agape, and as she began to consider the offer, the girl with only half her head slipped away.

"She is gone," he said.

The telepath stared up at him, and the room fell into a heavy silence. A few moans of pain drifted through the air, as did the sounds of the attackers – Fellowship, most likely – making their escape. All of the vampires had left in hot pursuit, and everyone in the room, except for Sookie and Eric, was either dead, or slipping into unconsciousness as a result of their injuries.

"No excuse to linger," Eric sighed finally, lifting himself away from Sookie as he began to feel discomforted with how comfortable he found the position. "My shirts always get ruined when I am with you," he commented as the movement caused some blood to ooze out of his bullet-wound and along his clavicle.

"Oh shit, Eric. You're bleeding. You got hit," Sookie said, scrambling to her feet rather ungracefully. "Bill! Bill!"

Eric watched her carefully, a small dart of jealousy wedging itself under his skin as she frantically searched the room for her boyfriend, and he tried to suppress a satisfied smirk as her search proved fruitless. She needed to feel protected, to feel like she was being looked after and cared for. She couldn't possibly understand the amount of self control it would take for a vampire to stay in this room, soaked with blood and the stench of death, when there was prey just begging to be hunted and vengeance to be had. He'd exercised his will; he'd saved her life – for the second time. Even now he was still fighting the urge to run, to kill and to feed. But here he was...and where was Bill?

He swallowed those thoughts, for now, and removed his shirt so he might get a better look at his wound. The movement required to lift the garment and pull it over his head sent a stinging pain shooting through his arm and back. It was nothing compared to some of the injuries he had sustained over the manifold years of his existence, but pain was pain. Looking down, he saw that the wound was not as deep as he'd assumed; he could even see the bullet. It was shallow enough that his body would naturally push it out as he healed.

But...

He clenched his teeth, and did not allow himself to further explore the thought that had leaped into his mind. "The bullet is right inside the wound, Sookie," he hissed. "Suck it out."

The request stopped Sookie's search dead. She froze, and gaped at him. "What?"

"If you don't suck it out, it will heal inside my flesh. If you are so squeamish, go get a knife and cut." He had a Swiss Army knife of his own in his pocket, and could have easily cut it out himself, if the case really was that his wound would heal around the bullet. But it was not. He had immediately thought that he could trick Sookie into drinking his blood. He didn't know why he'd thought that, he didn't know exactly what benefits he thought he could reap if she did, but he knew it would benefit him somehow, and so he decided not to analyze this, and just let it happen.

"But I can't do that," Sookie protested. Her voice was very small.

Jaw still clenched, Eric bared his teeth and growled, "I took this bullet for you. You can get it out for me. You are no coward."

At his words, Sookie steeled herself. Her face tightened into an expression of utter determination, and he knew she would succumb to his demand. She was not a coward, and she was proud enough of this to not allow for any thought to the contrary.

She grabbed his discarded shirt, and wiped his shoulder with it, clearing away excess blood. For a moment, she inspected the wound. And then she bent to him, and attached her lips to his shoulder.

He thrilled at the contact, and let out a long, hoarse moan as she sucked. It was always a strange and exciting sensation, feeling the very thing that animated him, was his essence even more so than it was that of a human, leave him, and pool in the mouth of another. Inside him it was constantly moving, albeit languidly, but sensing it as it collected, still and concentrated, was...exhilarating.

Sookie spat his blood onto the floor, where it quickly lost that spark which connected it to him, but a drop – one drop – had escaped her and slipped down her throat. It flared within her, and he shuddered with desire as every one of his cells called out to that single rogue drop.

"This room reeks of blood," he whispered. Everything around him was conspiring against his will power. The stench of blood, the prospect of a hunt, the adrenaline of survival, Sookie, and the blood – his blood – that lingered inside of her.

"Well, there," she said, raising her head to look at him. His blood was also on her lips. "That was the grossest - "

"Your lips are bloody," he interrupted, planting his hands on each side of her face, and turning it up towards his own. Their mouths crushed together, and he urged her lips apart easily. When their tongues met, he did not need to coax her into responding. She did so eagerly, and the cavern of her mouth was warm and soft and sweet, but he could not ignore that spark of his that now lived within her. And it was telling him that she was more worried about Bill than anything else. So he did not try to stop her when she pulled away.

He watched her, through hooded eyes, as she dazedly inspected his shoulder. Slowly, he licked his lips, thinking it strange to taste his own blood there. "Go look for Bill," he said darkly.

Sookie did not reply, just picked his bullet up off the floor, wrapped it in a scrap from his shirt, and closed her hand around it. His brows knit together as she held it, still, and left the room.

Eric could not, for once, think what to do next. He could see now that two other vampires had not joined the hunt, which would have ended by now, and all of the wounded were being tended to. There was nothing for him to do here, and though he was tempted, he would _not_ follow Sookie in her search for Bill.

She was not far away, he knew, for he could still sense her – or, rather, could still feel his blood as it danced inside her. She was worried, and somehow this did not surprise him. He did not know her very well, but he thought she might always be worried about someone, or something. She was worried, and terrified...and now, she felt dull and drab, and deeply disappointed.

So she'd found Bill, and she was sore that he had gone to fight instead of having stayed to protect her. One day, she would look back on this, and Eric's exertion of will power, his conviction to ignore bloodlust and stay with her, would work to his advantage.


End file.
